In a school like Baruch College, where we all thrive to the best we can be, we are oftentimes led to focus our attention on the future. Students are constantly thriving to do as much as humanly possible (and oftentimes spread themselves very thin) so as to become well-rounded individuals. We are all trying to get the best job that we can, and as a result find the need to make ourselves seem rather complex, and well informed. We want to be thought of as perfect, despite knowing that doing so is impossible.

My head in a book

everyone writing a lot

we want perfection!

Sadly however, in the process of being good students, we lose satisfaction with simplicity, and not only fail to appreciate, but also learn to despise the imperfect.

I am convinced, however, that I can do better. I strive to be able to appreciate my capabilities, all while acknowledging my inadequacies. I want to be able to appreciate the beauty of imperfections, and understand that they simply serve to highlight that even though man is not perfect, achieving greatness is possible. If we are to only focus on doing everything perfectly, I am convinced that we will not be able to get anything done at all. We must focus on the small, simple aspects of life, and as the Zen principles of unity and balance teach us, find satisfaction with the simple. In essence, one of the great perks of living in New York City is having access to the subway. People are able to get from place in an efficient manner, all while avoiding traffic. Like most things, the subway comes with many of its own downfalls. The system is often delayed, and is oftentimes bound to be affected by petty issues.

Dirty gum coated floors

loud horns and squeaking doors

my big journey home

Using the subway as an example, I hope to be able to appreciate the small nuances in my daily life and use them to find more appreciation when things do indeed work smoothly. I want to be able to think not only of the inconvenience the metro system at times inflicts on me, but to also realize and appreciate the system for its imperfections.

While the idea of really enjoying my imperfect mass transit commute may sound farfetched (and borderline crazy), I hope to be able to incorporate the principle of Wabi, which teaches us to find satisfaction with simplicity and austerity into my life. We must not always focus our attention to the complicated small details, and work to steer our attention towards the simple greatness that comes with many of our everyday tasks. We will all be much better off if we focus on our remarkable ability to travel in relative comfort and safety while using the metro system, and not spend too much time focused on the complex delays and inaccuracies that the system possess.

A greater focus on the simple, mixed with an appreciation for our inevitable imperfections will leave us all much better off.

The sun shines bright light

walking with purpose, delight

I love this city